There is a lot of overlap when referring to protection, birth control and contraception that often causes their meanings to be confused. Sometimes protection is used when someone is talking about avoiding STDs, pregnancy or both. Sometime birth control and contraception are used interchangeably. It’s a mess!
So let’s clear up any misinformation or confusion.

We've been talking about new HIV therapies and prevention methods a lot lately, but it's only because there are so many promising developments being made on the race to a cure. Currently, a new preventative method is being researched and its source may surprise you.

When you think of STD and HIV risk factors, you probably (hopefully!) think of unprotected sex, intravenous drug use, and men who have sex with men. Those are the big three that carry the highest risk, but they aren't the only activities that increase your likelihood of contracting HIV/AIDS. It's just as important, if not MORE important, to talk about the behaviors that can lead to a positive HIV diagnosis that aren't so obvious.

If you and your friends use apps like Tinder or Grindr, Craigslist’s Casual Encounters, or simply meet someone and ask if they want to “Netflix and chill,” you are all part of the casual hookup culture... which apparently has a major downside.

Catching an STD is never a good thing... right?
With the discovery of beneficial sexually transmitted microbes (STMs), it's time to reevaluate the positive and negative outcomes of STDs getting passed around.

Gonorrhea is a sexually transmitted infection (STI) that is becoming resistant to all known antibiotics that can treat it. The bacteria that causes gonorrhea, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, is adapting to the antibiotics, and higher doses are needed to kill off all of the bacteria, or they are failing to kill it off completely. By definition, an antibiotic is a medicine that either inhibits the growth and reproduction of a microorganism or inhibits and destroys a microorganism.

With all of the different STDs out there, it can be difficult to remember which ones can be treated and cured, and which sexually transmitted diseases stay with you for life. STDs are caused by a variety of bacteria, parasites and viruses. There are a few exceptions, but the easiest way to remember which sexually transmitted diseases can be cured is to know which are viral and which are not.
We put together a breakdown of the STDs that can pretty much always be cured, can sometimes be cured, and those that currently do not have a cure. We update this post when new STD treatment information

Jails are breeding grounds for high concentrations of infectious disease, including sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). Many jails and prisons prioritize urgent health conditions, such as mental illness, withdrawal from drugs, and tuberculosis, but STDs and other chronic conditions inmates have aren't always noticed or tended to. With the largest prison population in the world, it comes as no surprise that the United States has a major problem with STD testing and treatment within the correctional system.